ASPEN, Colo. — A top defense official says the National Security Agency is implementing new security measures because of the disclosures by former NSA-systems-analyst-turned-fugitive Edward Snowden.
Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says systems administrators like Snowden must now work with another colleague when accessing sensitive, compartmented intelligence. That’s the kind Snowden leaked to the media, revealing that the agency was gathering millions of U.S. phone records and intercepting some U.S. Internet traffic.
Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, Carter says they are implementing a “two-man rule” everywhere systems administrators have “elevated” clearance to read sensitive information. Access to data will be limited as well instead of storing so much on a single server.

“systems administrators like Snowden must now work with another colleague when accessing sensitive, compartmented intelligence.”

Very good. From the moment the story broke, I always felt I missed a part of the puzzle when intellegence officers said that “all was compartmented”, yet Snowden said he could “access all”. This explains it – there was *no* compatimentalization for system administrators, period.

Isn’t the issue that Snowden was a Contractor? Should Contractors have access to such sensitive classified government information? If you have a colleague working with you and that colleague is also a Contractor, couldn’t we end up with the same problem? The bottom line is that Snowden intentionally obtained his contracting position so that he could access confidential material and then reveal it to media outlets. Not sure how the “two-man rule” would stop that in the future since you could have two Contractors who conspire to do what Snowden just did.

Destroying government property will have consequences. Is the Colorado town spelling that out to these ignorant people who don’t seem to ever want to pay the consequences for their stupid actions? Inciting people to destroy government property should also carry a fine or penalty.

A Colorado town is considering granting its residents hunting licenses to shoot down drones for bounty money, Reuters reported Wednesday.
Trustees in Deer Trail, a town of just 600, will bring up an ordinance next month that would allow residents to pay $25 for a license to shoot down “unmanned aerial vehicles” flying under 1,000 feet with a 12-gauge shotgun, according to Reuters. Anyone who could produce “either the nose or the tail” of a drone would be paid $100 under the proposal.
The resident who crafted the measure, Army veteran Phillip Steel, told Reuters that his proposal is symbolic, although he finds the government’s use of drones for surveillance purposes disturbing.
“If you don’t want your drone to go down, don’t fly it in town,” Steel said.

So, let’s see, they have special eyes in Deer Trail that can see stealthy drones overhead, and not just mistake migratin’ Canadian Geese – or the Postal Service’s small plane or maybe a flyover above their state by Liz Cheney – for drones or something?

Well, then, Phillip Steel, sounds like an ordinance. Army veteran? What Army?

Maybe “Deer Trail” should get busy shooting down all those satellites up in space, too.

NASA and the U.S. Forest Service successfully demonstrated technologies that improved real-time wildfire imaging and mapping capabilities during a series of research flights by an unmanned research aircraft in the summer and fall of 2007. The Western States Fire Mission flights were a follow-on to a similar campaign during the fall of 2006.

NASA’s Ikhana, a remotely piloted Predator B unmanned aircraft system adapted for civilian science missions, flew the first four flights between mid-August and late September from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The flights demonstrated various platform, sensor, and data dissemination technologies related to improving real-time wildfire observations. Each of the flights built upon results of the previous ones to expand the aircraft and sensor system’s capabilities in endurance and range, number of observations made, and flexibility in mission and sensing reconfiguration.

Shame the rest of us have to suffer because these people can’t think….western forest fires….probably saving the idiots of Deer Trails’ houses….

With ground-based pilots flying the aircraft between 23,000 feet and 25,000 feet altitude during the first four flights, Ikhana was airborne for a total of 56 hours over eight of the western states and covered more than 8,900 nautical miles. Twenty wildfires in six western states were imaged. NASA Dryden worked closely with the Federal Aviation Administration for approval and coordination of Ikhana’s flights into the national airspace.

Several of these fires were revisited on long-duration flights to provide time-induced fire progression data. Post fire imagery was captured to aid teams working a Burned Area Emergency Response that will include area stabilization and ecosystem rehabilitation.

This yahoo does realize that we’ve had satellites that can read a pack of cigarettes from space for over 30 years, right. And that when the secret internal defense squad sends the stealth drone for his ass @ 1:42 AM…he will never see that baby coming.

This is a good point, since those drones have self-destruct mechanisms on them. Rachel showed last night that two have come down in the last week, and exploded after impact due to the self-destruct mechanism. The one yesterday caused the area to be cleared, because they weren’t sure if it had exploded yet, or not.

This is typical Republican behavior. They can’t think past the next gratifying step. they are incapable of taking their actions through to their ultimate conclusion BEFORE they act. And then they refuse to be held accountable for the consequences, crying that people are taking away their “freedoms”. I want to be free from having a shotgun fired into the air by an idiot, and then having a drone fall on my head!

i have so much to say and so much on my mind….first, let’s get this out of the way…..As much as I feel VP Joey would be a marvelous President and as much as I wish he would run, I don’t see it happening….JB is 2 months older than me and granted is in much better physical shape than me, although I’m not a slacker, but this year I have really begun to feel the aging process..I can’t even imagine him tackling the rigors of the office…just think at how it has aged PBO…..if Hillary runs, with the exception of a lot of us, most women will get behind her….I personally would vote for JB…..so…I will be very surprised if he runs……..next…….I am appalled and embarrassed at the attitude of white people about the not guilty verdict of GZ….the Martins were treated so shabbily this morning….so disrespectful…..and they have so much grace, so classy, so strong. and I have a question….what the hell does OJ Simpson have to do with this case? I’m sick of hearing it……and last, the prosecution…why the hell did they allow that woman on the jury?…..was this a set up?…they sure didn’t present much of a case…and totally didn’t prepare the young lady who was talking to Trayvon on her cell….saw her interviews and she was articulate and truthful….I’m sorry, I think that witch who was smiling through the verdict and preening like an aging movie star intended for the verdict to be not guilty……..and last…..I’m in a deep depression about what is going on in NC…..and can’t seem to shake it…….other than that…life is peachy!

Hi Kathryn – I totally agree with everything you’ve said…and I too am depressed about North Carolina. They’ve rammed through Voter Suppression laws yesterday. I’ve only lived in NC for a year now, but I feel like I’m in #RWNJ Hell. I hope your day and week gets better!! 🙂

Me neither, daisy. Hunks are hunks. And it’s not about the outside (although that does count). VP Biden KNOWS. He was only 29 when his first wife and infant daughter (both sons were in the car) were killed by a drunk driver. The boys were hospitalized and he never gave up.

This is what happens when Republicans run things. Out of the three clinics, only one performs abortions; which means women will be denied mammograms, screening for all types of cancer, HPV shots, preventive care, family planning help, birth control pills, condoms for men, help with STD prevention, etc. Women will die and that’s a fact. There’s a reserved seat in hell for Republicans.

This is all about getting those law suits going so that Roe v Wade gets “re-decided” again by this conservative supreme court. I don’t know what it would take to bring these clinics up to surgical ambulatory status but I wish they could find some wealthy philanthropist in these states to sponsor the upgrades and knock down this provision. The other law (abortion ban after 20 weeks under any circumstances) is a direct affront to Roe v Wade who’s standard was 24 weeks (6 months). Americans are touchy on this one because with constant advances in technology deciding at what stage is the viability of the fetus has become more and more complicated.

The bottom line is that this is a privacy issue (as the Supreme Court ruled in ’73).

You’re so right – the GOP want this back in front of the Supreme Court so they can knock it down entirely.

There is one thing that gives me hope. I heard a report the other day that Justice Ginsburg had regretted that Roe v Wade was such a limited ruling, because it allowed states to tighten the restrictions over and over, and it was easier to bring back up to the Supreme Court to knock it down on such restrictive grounds. She had hoped that it would have been based on much more broad grounds that would be definitive and not easily manipulated by those agents on the right. Who knows – these short-sighted GOP may actually find that bringing this case back to the Supreme Court actually strengthens it! Wishful thinking, maybe, but I do still hold out some hope.

You are spot on, donna. I will NEVER forgive Sandra O’Connor, She thought she’d get the chief justice spot if she rolled for the chainedshrubies and we see the results. Then she added insult to injury by leaving and letting the RATS (roberts, alito, thomas scalia) disrespect our president from the git go.

Last Thursday, Sergei Magnitsky was convicted of tax evasion. The only problem was he was not there to hear the verdict read. Magnitsky was killed in Moscow’s Butyrka prison in 2009, likely as a result of beatings and a lack of medical treatment. His crime was uncovering a $230 million tax fraud involving members of the government while working as a lawyer for William Browder (an American investor who was also convicted in absentia).

But Magnitsky’s conviction is not simply an example of the capricious nature of the legal system in Russia; it is a view into how the use of money laundering, financial laws, and Russia’s financial intelligence unit are used to control political dissent.

Good for her. I wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors. When i saw her on CNN and Al Sharpton’s show, I was impressed by her strength. Imagine speaking to your friend just before he’s shot down like an animal. What a nightmare she has to live with for the rest of her life.

Oops! re above link!
WASHINGTON — The Rev. Al Sharpton announced Tuesday that he will lead a national “Justice for Trayvon” day in 100 cities this weekend to press for federal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman.

Zimmerman’s acquittal over the weekend in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin has touched off protests around the country. The Justice Department is investigating whether Zimmerman violated Martin’s civil rights when he shot the 17-year-old during a February 2012 confrontation in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman said he fired his gun in self-defense.

“People all across the country will gather to show that we are not having a two- or three-day anger fit. This is a social movement for justice,” Sharpton said as he announced the plan outside the Justice Department with several ministers.

Why can’t he allow the Justice Dept. to do their investigation? I think all believe that Holder would be inclined to bring charges if it would be possible under the law. I think there is a very slim chance, though, as every single lawyer I’ve heard speak on this, including those who would like to see it happen, said the facts of the case would likely not fit the required criteria.

Having read commentary on twitter from my followers who are Lawyers, I’m hearing the same thing…which is depressing…They also said that GZ would be found not guilty, which I was thinking that they were wrong….But when the verdict came back as predicted, I was shocked and devastated. Because emotionally, I was SO SURE the jury would convict Zimmerman. In my mind, how could they not?
But this case and all the evidence is still being investigated, so if they find enough to pursue as a hate crime or civil rights violation, I think DOJ can & will do it!

So in one aspect, while I understand and appreciate how Rev Al is trying to get justice for Trayvon, I agree that we should let AG Eric Holder & DOJ pursue the case. I think by trying to “promise” justice, all of us will be let down and emotionally drained if once again expectations raised and dashed….. but this is just my personal opinion.

I think the Rallies will be great in one aspect, which is to help people process their grief and fears for their own kids safety. But I also think it would be good if we could harness the energy & momentum of the rallies to CHANGE the status quo.

I think it would be amazing if Rev Al Sharpton could focus on the FUTURE Trayvon Martins and talk about how we change SYG laws and combat racism. In addition, I think it would be a fitting tribute and honor Trayvon, if we could do something to end Stop & Frisk, Racial bias in the judicial system, etc.

How is he stopping the Justice Dept. from doing their investigation? People are pissed and rather than letting that anger fester and possibly explode in a violent way, Rev. Al is trying to direct that energy toward positive, peaceful protests.

I just don’t like it if this somehow becomes President Obama’s burden, “Obama’s fault”, and pressing Holder is getting close. I just can’t figure out why the Atty. Gen. isn’t allowed to do his job. He doesn’t need “pressing”. I have great confidence that he will file charges if at all possible. My humble opinion. (which always is protective of President Obama and all he has to bear)

Me too, Donna. I heard some of this this morning. I’m not in my car very long in the mornings (on my way to and from Curves), but I ALWAYS am listening to Joe and sometimes sit in my car when I get there or when I get home. 🙂

I don’t trust Putin, so it would not bother me if POTUS were to cancel his trip to Russia. And it would not bother me if America boycott the Winter Olympics. Putin has to know that America mean business.

The shame of it all is that President Obama and former President Medyedev worked hard at restoring the relationship between Russia and the US – hosting a state dinner, passing the new START treaty, engaging in trade relationships and supporting the development of a Russian-version “Silicon Valley” to boost the economy and trade. Given that these are the two largest holders of nuclear weapons, and Putin doesn’t seem to have a problem siding with dictators and non-allies of the US – this is a bad development. The world needs Russia and the US to be working together and coming closer together – not the other way around. Snowden and Greenwald have done a lot of damage.

Definitely – Medyedev seemed to respect President Obama quite a bit, and President Obama seemed to like Medyedev and their ability to get stuff done. I heard Medyedev once say that he was kind of shell-shocked that the man whom he had so admired as President of the Harvard Law Review back during his law school days was now his partner as President of the United States. 🙂

I don’t think this has to do with Snowden – I think it’s about the conviction of a human rights activist Alexi Navalny who opposed Putin’s efforts to suppress exposure of corruption in the Russian government.

I don’t know, ms prude here struggled to make it through the first 40 secs before giving up. Hard for me to swallow the concept of prayer and all that swearing, and although TOD has toughened me enough to accept an odd bit of swearing here and there I confess I am not yet to the point where I can appreciate an entire routine.

No worries, Layla. I’m okay with ‘running with my tail between my legs’ when I click in on something that’s too strong for me. I do the same if an article/comment is too much. 😉 Normally, when I run I just keep my mouth shut; don’t know what came over me today. 🙄

Sounds more like vacation than sequestration. The Seminole County Sheriff’s office has released a $33,000 bill for the 22-day sequestration of the six women jurors in the George Zimmerman trial. While holed up in individual rooms in the Florida Marriott, jurors watched TV, exercised, and visited with family and friends. They also went on field trips to the movies, bowling, and to Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum and enjoyed manicures and pedicures. And for dinner? Outback Steakhouse. While it might seem like the sequestered women were living it up, they allegedly paid for personal purchases and appointments. Plus, they earned a little R&R. Florida attorney Randy Reep put it this way: “A Bloomin’ Onion at Outback would not adequately reimburse these women for the bitterness” that they might receive.

And all that “bitterness” they might receive. Damn shame. At least they still have THEIR lives!

Can’t they remain anonymous for the rest of their lives? What bitterness will they receive when no one needs to know their identities? The only way they’ll be outed is if they decide to write a book to profit from their shameful jury service.

[1:03:12 pm]: Thanks for contacting Health Insurance Marketplace Live Chat. Please wait while we connect you to someone who can help.
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[1:03:23 pm]: Welcome! You’re now connected to Health Insurance Marketplace Live Chat.

Thanks for contacting us. My name is Alma. To protect your privacy, please don’t provide any personal information, like Social Security Number, or any other sensitive medical or personal information.
[1:03:41 pm]: HC.gov lady
How may I assist you today?
[1:04:42 pm]: ME
Hi, Alma.. I was wondering if with our new healthcare law that Dr’s will have to accept all insurance plans?
[1:05:11 pm]: HC.gov lady
Thank you for your question today. It will take me just a moment to review and respond to your question.
[1:06:33 pm]: HC.gov lady
If you buy insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, your health insurance company will provide a list of doctors and hospitals that accept your plan. Your current doctor may or may not accept your new health insurance plan.
[1:08:23 pm]: ME
I see. What if we happen to be on vacation or in another state and have to see a Dr? The question came up for me in another conversation and I’m trying to find the answer rather than have wrong info. I appreciate your help
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Thank you. One moment please while I look that up.
[1:11:13 pm]: HC.gov lady
You must apply to enroll in the Marketplace of the state that you claim as your primary residence. If you live in more than one state in a calendar year, but do not permanently move, or if you work in one state and reside in another, you will need health insurance that offers multi-state coverage. These multi-state plans will offer the same comprehensive health coverage and financial help as a single state plan. However, this coverage will allow you the flexibility to receive care where you need it in multiple states. Before you enroll, it is a good idea to check that the multi-state plan you select has provider networks in the states where you will need coverage.
[1:12:27 pm]: HC.gov lady
Unfortunately, this is the only information we have at the moment in regards to multiple state coverage. Currently we do not have information in regards to needed health care during vacation.
[1:12:33 pm]: ME
Ok…is the multi state cov. more expensive?
[1:13:47 pm]: HC.gov lady
I apologize for the inconvenience, but the premium amounts will be announced on the healthcare.gov website when Open Enrollment begins on October 1, 2013.
[1:15:46 pm]: ME
Sorry. I thought about that after I hit send:) Thank you so much for your help..Am very excited for this to take effect! This is a good thing that everyone should appreciate. Thank you again for your help and I look forward to learning more about this in the coming months. Have a great day.
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Thank you, you have a great day too.
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You bet 🙂
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[1:17:03 pm]: 7/18/2013

Does this help. forus50?? I did this live chat and asked your question…if it doesn’t help, maybe this will help others 🙂

Just what is Jimmy Carter talking about. If we had any media worth a dam they would ask him that. These people like Carter who can sit back on his old ass and not worry about keeping this country safe from another 9/11.

“I think that the secrecy that has been surrounding this invasion of privacy has been excessive, so I think that the bringing of it to the public notice has probably been, in the long term, beneficial.”

I know that this will probably be controversial but I don’t disagree with that statement. I also think that PBO said that we need to have a conversation about privacy in the wake of 9/11. We do!

What I take issue with is how Snowden and GG and others all act like this is some new found revelation. It’s not! This stuff has been going on since Homeland Security was established.

I choose to use the internet knowing full well that ever site I go on is being tracked. If I look for a pair of shoes on one site the next time I go to TPM or Facebook or anywhere else I’m going to see an ad reminding me of those shoes I looked at two days ago. The notion that this stuff is a “revelation” exposed by Snowden is complete bull pucky IMO.

Also, if Snowden felt that he was doing this country such a big service then he should have faced the music and been arrested. He would have been hailed as a martyr for the cause and the far left would be going on hunger strikes and chaining themselves to the WH fence on an hourly basis to get his release.

He listened to that fool GG and did online interviews when he should have been getting his butt to some country for asylum now he’ll just have to take his medicine.

My issue is not with people agreeing or disagreeing about the specifics of NSA in regards to privacy. My issue is with the sudden Johnny-come-lately grave concern about an issue which was reported over FIVE years ago, and met by the same individuals with a “meh” and a yawn.

When USA today put out a report on NSA surveillance in 2006, where were the Jimmy Carters, Greenwalds and Snowdens with their alarmist, hyperbolic reactions?!?!

That’s my objection here – it’s the great hypocrisy of suddenly needing to have a great debate, where that urgency didn’t seem to exist prior to 2009.

Furthermore, I find it curious that no one seems to feel the need to have a great debate about privacy when it comes to other ways in which individuals are violated – by corporations, banks, private websites, social media, sales & advertising companies. Everyone keeps talking about privacy but so far, I haven’t seen a single example of how a US citizen’s privacy has been violated by the US government and used for nefarious reasons. As PBO himself said, we have to sacrifice something for our convenience and safety – and while we can debate this, let’s not be intellectually dishonest doing it.

1) In 2006 the Jimmy Carters or whomevers didn’t come forward because the climate wasn’t conducive to a real discussion of the subject or to criticism of the administration. The current president has said he welcomes the dialogue, or words to that effect. {I haven’t read his comment, but I guess I feel Jimmy has the right to his opinion even if it doesn’t jive with ours.} After all, when we throw ideas out in the open and debate ensue, we often find that our positions can be clarified.

If Congress decides to amend the Patriot Act to lessen NSA’s surveillance powers, I am positive that President Obama would sign that legislation into law. Let’s see if President Carter pushes Congress in that direction.

My feeling is a lot of those who sound off in the press are not really interested in ‘pushing Congress’ in any positive or productive direction. They primarily want to be noticed and drawing attention to PBO and his admin is guaranteed to achieve that goal.

You also have to keep in mind that these TGOP’s are flip-floppy if the “left or Obama” agrees to over turning parts of the Patriot Act they will do nothing. It amazes me when the Patriot Act was being enacted by a GOP President, House, and Senate you heard very little objection from the rwnj’s. I heard from Thom Hartmann and other lefties on the radio against it but from the every day person I got, “I’ve got nothing to hide”. Now all of a sudden these same people are up in arms about the gubmint spyin on me.

I’m sorry vc, but the Carters, Snowdens and Greenwalds do not get a pass from me for not speaking out in 2006. There may be others who fall in that category but the ones who are currently given a platform in the media don’t. As Greenwald himself admitted, he “trusted” Bush as his President and left the decision-making to him. America felt comfortable enough with the Bush administration that they voted him TWICE!

And when PBO says he welcomes dialogue – it means he welcomes respectful, intellectually honest discussions about issues that people genuinely care about.

It does not give people the license to go on hyperbolic rants personally attacking him and his administration, and elevating questionable characters based on sketchy assessment of facts and MSM-driven propaganda.

Carter exposed his dirty slip when he elevated Snowden’s actions as beneficial to the US – AFTER PBO had dismissed him as “some 29-yr old hacker” which he is.

No need to be sorry, Hf. I understand what you are saying and was not really trying to EXCUSE the folks mentioned even if it sounded like it. I was trying to say PBO ‘welcomes respectful, intellectually honest discussions about issues that people genuinely care about’ whereas the previous admin did not. In order to get to honest discussion it would seem that today’s admin/country(?) has to wade through the dishonesty, the insincerity and the hypocrisy. Fortunately President Obama is intelligent, incisive, insightful and honest enough himself to be able to do that – he shouldn’t have to, but he has the skills to.

donna, I agree completely with your coments about Snowden – and if Carter felt that what Snowden has done is so”beneficial” then why isn’t he questioning Snowden’s choice of Russia and these other non-Democratic countries for his asylum requests?

One of the things that bothers me about Jimmy Carter is that he never has a problem speaking negatively about any Democratic politician. Yet, most Democratic pols NEVER say anything negative about him, and I believe it is out of respect. Many could have trashed him for poor decisions made during his administration and for essentially losing the presidency for Democrats, but they do not. Respect is a two way street and it is time that Mr. Carter learned that he doesn’t need to share his every thought. Sometimes, being smart, is remaining silent.

House Republicans have been using taxpayer funding to foot the $2.3 million dollar bill to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in a number of cases. While the Supreme Court was weighing Windsor, the other cases challenging DOMA were put on hold. Now that the Court has overturned DOMA, the House is abandoning its defense in the other cases.

I wish we would all add to that list…there are just too many instances to think of alone:) I need to write my useless ALEC owned critter back (again!) because he doesn’t want to help the EPA with coal fired plants and regulations. His reason? THE DEFICIT IS TOO BIG TO WORK ON PROBLEMS! Seriously.He said that. I want to have a list and the dollar amts they have spent with their BS investigations and repeal votes and just all of it. I’d like to send him the bill.

Maybe there some very adept people on this site who could find that information, Then there could be an ongoing tally of costs as the repubs did for the deficit! This is just a thought but one would think it would be great to spread this info to the people prior to the debt ceiling issue and 2014.

Dudette, you are a very dear, dear! TY. This will do for now, while I await a graph or chart that can be adjusted as we progress towards 2014 – one that maybe includes other ways they are wasting money as well. [ :grin:= Dreamers gonna dream ]

July 17 is an historic day. It marks a tipping point in the evolution of capitalism.

It marks the coming home of a capitalism that returns business to its proper role in society to create shared and durable prosperity. With Delaware Governor Jack Markell signing benefit corporation legislation into law, business leaders have a new freedom to make decisions that are in the best interests of society as well as their bottom line, and we – as citizens, customers, workers, and investors — have the tools to identify and support them.

According to a White Paper from a group of corporate attorneys, the benefit corporation is the corporate structure that best meets the needs of the growing number of entrepreneurs and investors who seek to use business as a tool to solve social and environmental problems.

I forget when this all got changed – it was some odious Supreme Court decision. Going back to Alexander Hamilton – a corporation had to act in the public interest as well as profit.

The odious court decision that they have a fiduciary responsibility only is what every anti-regulation lawsuit is based upon. And it was NOT the American tradition, going back to to the pro-growth policies of Alexander Hamilton.

I think eggs and sperm should be property of the state, next! The ban on male masturbation is also next re “the could have been a baby law”. How does one even stop these fools prior to 2014….ut, help!!!!!!!!

On Thursday, three Texas Republicans filed a measure that would criminalize abortion services after a fetal heartbeat can be detected — which typically occurs around six weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they’re pregnant.

So-called “heartbeat” bills are so radical that they divide the anti-choice community. In addition to criminalizing the vast majority of abortions, they also mandate invasive ultrasound procedures for women seeking abortions. In order to detect a fetal heartbeat so early in a pregnancy, doctors typically have to use a transvaginal probe.

Every woman in Tx should tell the men in their lives to “talk to the hand” and clean up the bathroom when they’re done flushing potential “babies” down the toilet. VOTE THEM OUT!

A shirtless man who took out a loaded gun at a U.S. Secret Service police booth outside the White House told officers, “I was only going to fire a couple of shots if no one confronted me,” according to court documents, NBCWashington reported Thursday.

Christopher Wade Briggs was arrested Tuesday afternoon when officers saw him take a semi-automatic .45-caliber handgun from a backpack and attach it to his belt holster.

The gun was loaded with 13 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, according to NBC. Officers found two more magaziness with 13 rounds, 171 more rounds of .45-caliber, hollow-point ammunition and two hunting knives with serrated edges on his property. They did not find a license to carry or any gun permit in his name.

I thought this was a no-no in DC….especially at the WH, but in DC in general

And this from DK: Last July, when CBS News tallied it up using the CRS figure of $24 million per work week in the House, they figured that the House had spent 80 hours on 33 repeal votes, for a grand total of $48 million. That’s $1.45 million per vote. There have been another three repeal votes since then, for another $4.4 million to the tally.

So, we’re at a grand total of $52.4 million wasted on futile Obamacare repeal votes, just in the House. And that’s being generous to the Republicans, not counting committee time wasted on this, the opportunity cost of delaying other work, etc. It’s probably a lot closer to $55 million.

And if you ask those 70 new GOP members who are insisting on having their turn to cast a meaningless vote on settled law why they want to be in Congress, they’ll tell you it’s to stop big government from wasting taxpayer dollars.

Freshman members of Congress may be envious of the 36 different failed attempts to toss Obamacare that they missed out on, but those votes came at a cost. Between 2011 and 2013, Republicans wasted about 88 hours and $50 million in taxpayer money on their failed votes to repeal Obamacare. Meanwhile, the 112th Congress failed to pass a single piece of legislation to create jobs. Those misplaced priorities earned that body of lawmakers the unfortunate distinction of being the least productive Congress in history.

By Ben Geman and Zack Colman
STATE OF PLAY: The Senate confirmed Gina McCarthy to head the EPA Thursday, while across Capitol Hill, House Republicans are readying fresh attacks on the agency she’ll lead.

Click here for more on the 59-40 Senate vote that will put McCarthy atop the agency more than four months after President Obama nominated her.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) told reporters that McCarthy’s arrival will spur action on a range of regulations.

McCarthy, once sworn in, will replace acting Administrator Robert Perciasepe, who has been guiding the agency since former head Lisa Jackson departed early this year.

“I think it will have an impact on every single thing that happens,” Boxer told reporters in the Capitol.
“The first may be, in my opinion, addressing the chemical explosion at West, [Texas] and also moving forward on all sorts of rules dealing with water, drinking water, clean water, also dealing with greenhouse gas emissions, methane, all that,” Boxer said.

“I think it will be a huge difference,” she added. “They really didn’t have anyone in place for a very long time except an acting person, and they just don’t have the gravitas if they are not confirmed. It is going to make an enormous difference.”

House Republicans, meanwhile, are about to launch new efforts to strip the EPA’s power to move ahead with regulating carbon emissions from power plants and other sources.

A panel of the House Appropriations Committee next Tuesday will mark up fiscal 2014 EPA spending legislation.

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), who heads the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies subcommittee, has pledged that the bill will be part of the “battleground” over the White House climate change agenda.

When I see our President smiling and the people around him smiling, I know we are in good hands. I can’t even describe how beautiful the First Lady looks — radiant like the sun, in her beautiful yellow dress.